Message to Staff: INA 10-Day Notice of Intent to Strike

September 2, 2020

Dear UI Health—

Yesterday, we were disappointed to learn that the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) filed a 10-day notice of intent to strike for seven days beginning Sept. 12. While this action means that the INA can opt to strike, it does not mean that they will.

We have scheduled negotiations with the INA and the federal mediator today and tomorrow. We hope that the INA will agree to schedule additional negotiation sessions, if necessary, as we believe much can be resolved through further dialogue. As I have stated before, I remain hopeful that both parties will reach an agreement that reflects our commitment to our nurses while being fiscally sustainable for the Hospital.

However, as patient care is our primary responsibility, we are likewise planning for the safety of our patients and our continued operations, including the implementation of Epic as our new electronic medical record.

Effective today, we have activated our Emergency Operation Plan and Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) to manage our patient care delivery operations during any work stoppage. The HICS team will ensure that we can continue to safely serve our patients and strongly support our staff throughout the duration of a strike.

A strike is not in the best interest of our patients, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, we will focus our efforts on creating a safe and effective care delivery plan for our patients during these uncertain times, should a potential work stoppage occur.

We will continue to keep you informed as negotiations and planning continue. Up-to-date information about the status of negotiations is available on the Intranet.

Sincerely,

Michael B. Zenn
Chief Executive Officer
University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics